Would definitely do it again!! Past Review

By (Family Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida) - abroad from 02/02/2012 to 04/27/2012 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much I can't sum it all up here. A few examples: how to travel alone in a foreign country; more about European & world culture/history; how to get lost & still have fun! Definitely worthwhile

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courses were challenging enough- I definitely learned a lot, but the courses were not overwhelmingly difficult and allowed time for exploration of Florence and Europe, in general.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Staff at CAPA are amazing, friendly and extremely helpful!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Beautiful apartment, and a super sweet land-lady...she was like an italian grandmother to us all and even cooked for us sometimes!

* Food:

...come on it's Itaian food!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I feel it would have been nice if we could've had more interaction with local italian students. Other than that it was great.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? around $200

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate Italian 1
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? talk with anyone and everyone who is wiling to listen to you stammer through your italian:)

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • friendliness & helpfulness of staff
  • ability to travel on weekends- there was no class on Fridays
* What could be improved?
  • warmth in the building
  • more opportunities to meet local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing..go without any expectations & you'll be blown away ;)

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Italian

Course Department:
Instructor: Edoardo Tachi
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: This was literally one of the best classes I've ever taken- abroad or at home in the U.S. Edoardo is such an excellent professor- you can tell he genuinely cares for his students and teaches not only basic grammar, but also other things that we were interested (ie: italian slang, dialect, or random animal noises haha- they're different in italian!) Best professor ever!
Credit Transfer Issues: Not really. I would just suggest getting a copy of your course syllabus to show as proof to any department heads at your home university who are asking about what you did while abroad.